Strength Through Pain
by thedarkunicorn
Summary: Itachi decides that raping Sakura may push Sasuke even further and make him even stronger. Sakura learns that even in the depths of darkness, there is still hope and Sasuke is the one to bring it. Through this pain, Itachi gives him strength. Lemon, dark


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AN – SPOILERS FROM MANGA. This story occurs before Sasuke kills Itachi, while he is searching for him with Hebi. Sakura is with Kakashi and Naruto looking for Sasuke and after Itachi's meeting with Naruto, Itachi finds Sakura.

* * *

The cool night air flittered through the leaves cooling his skin. Itachi opened his eyes to the darkness. Losing half his chakra made him feel very weak, but it was a necessary precaution if Sasuke were to fail. Itachi closed his eyes again. He hoped very much that did not happen.

His time was about to come to an end. He knew Sasuke wasn't nearly as strong as he had hoped, but he was running out of ways to push him. Sensing a familiar chakra presence, Itachi opened his eyes once more. Before him was the kunoichi who was once Sasuke's teammate. The answer to his problem.

She was rather beautiful and it was clear to Itachi how much she hated him. She must care for Sasuke very much. She was the perfect solution to make Sasuke stronger. Sasuke could deny that he cared for his old teammates all he wanted, but Itachi saw right through him. The camaraderie that he and the nine tails had displayed told him everything. Those kind of bonds cannot be broken. That was why they continued to search for him even after all that he had done. Those bonds were what Itachi was counting on. If they were as strong as he thought, then they would be enough to pull Sasuke back to him after he was dead. As long as Sasuke never knew the truth, he could be happy once again and strong enough for what lie before him. That was Itachi's plan. For Sasuke to survive and one day die smiling.

After several long moments of silence, the girl before him lunged with enough chakra concentrated in her fist to destroy a mountain. He wondered if she meant to kill him rather than capture him. In one motion, Itachi was gone and behind her, easily knocking her unconscious.

"Not… again…" she breathed before passing out.

Itachi raised one eyebrow as he caught her. Odd.

* * *

When Sakura awoke she was in a dark cave-live room. The first thing she noticed was the Uchiha fan everywhere. Cracked and decaying, they truly reflected the minds of the last of the clan. Her head was spinning and she could barely see straight. However, when she heard the words spoken behind her, she heard him loud and clear.

"Are you alright, Sakura?"

She froze. His voice was so unlike what she had imagined. It didn't sound cruel and twisted. It wasn't dark and uncaring. He sounded… concerned.

Sakura clenched her fist, her expression angry as she turned around and stood. She was shaky, but she refused to be weak before this monster.

"You… what did you bring me here for?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling.

As much as she tried to be strong, she was scared. Itachi was strong. She didn't know of anyone who could defeat him and she feared being here with him. His calm, stoic face only made it worse.

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the blaring red of the Sharingan was all she could see. However, rather than falling into an illusion, nothing happened. Itachi only watched her with curiosity.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but you have become involved with my plan," he said.

Sakura stared at him. Was she truly hearing sadness in his voice?

"What do you mean?" she yelled.

"One day, Naruto may understand and be able to explain properly," Itachi answered.

Without another word, the torches that lit the old Uchiha compound were gone and Itachi was no where to be seen in the darkness. Fear struck as Sakura gazed into the black, trying to understand what he was talking about.

A faint shift in the air behind her made her heart stop. Before she could grasp what was happening, Itachi had her pinned against the cold stone wall. A soft gasp escaped her mouth as she realized he had her tight up against his body.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could begin to see the outline of his face. Slowly, his features came into view. His red eyes, his black hair, the unmistakable Uchiha features… He looked just like Sasuke. Or perhaps Sasuke looked just like him.

Rather than trying to find a way out of the situation, Sakura found herself trembling and studying his face. She had no idea what he was thinking. His face was utterly unreadable; the same expression he had always had.

"What are you doing…." Sakura whispered.

"What I must…" Itachi thought for a moment. "Do you think about him often?"

Sakura felt her heart beat faster. "Who?"

"Sasuke… Do you wish he was here at this moment? Do you wish it was him holding you against the wall? Or is the thought of what he would do too much for you to handle? Knowing that he may not do anything to help you…"

"Stop it!" Sakura cried. She tried desperately to hold back the tears, but there was nothing she could do. His words became visions in her head. Would he help her? Would Sasuke do anything to save her… did he care at all?

"Had he never left… you wouldn't be in the position right now. You wouldn't be at my mercy," Itachi said, pressing a kunai to her throat.

"I don't understand… why you're doing this. What do I have to do with anything. You said it yourself… Sasuke doesn't care about me…"

Itachi watched her with sad eyes that she couldn't see. Sasuke had definitely done his best to make that true, but he couldn't ever erase the past.

Sakura gasped as she felt Itachi lean closer to her.

"Sasuke doesn't care about you, Sakura. He will never care for you. Knowing this, can you truly deny the closest thing to what you desire most? I can see what you are thinking. The resemblance is strong and I could easily be Sasuke in the darkness… pretending I were him has actually crossed your mind."

Sakura's eyes widened… How did he know that? It was something she never would have thought she was capable of… how could she sink so low? What the hell was wrong with her?

"I want you to stay away from me," Sakura whispered. She sounded hoarse, like it was difficult to say.

Itachi leaned in closer to her, his lips almost touching hers. "No, you don't."

His kiss was way too perfect. It wasn't rough and uncomfortable like she thought it was going to be. It was _perfect_. Control slipped from her mind as she kissed him back, her restraint broken. It was everything she had imagined Sasuke's kiss would be… but that would never happen. Maybe he was right, this was as close as she would ever get to Sasuke… but this man… was a monster

Itachi's tongue entering her mouth made all thoughts cease. A rapidly spreading fire was coursing through her body. The kunai was no longer at her throat and Itachi's hands were pulling at the ripped bits of clothing still on her. Every time she tried to think rationally, she saw Itachi's Sharingan and only felt his hands on her. It was disconcerting how very like one of her fantasies of Sasuke this was…

Before she could think any more of it, she felt her legs being lifted around his waist and his body getting even closer to hers. She couldn't breathe without her chest moving against his which was getting more rapid every second.

His lips bruised her throat and he was pulling her bra off. Sakura couldn't think straight about what was happening… she could only feel him against her… and he felt good. He felt very good. She had longed for this feeling for so long… but there was something incredibly wrong…

Itachi's hand sliding her underwear down her thigh caught her off guard. Nervous fear struck her as he slid his fingers around between her legs. Without realizing it, she let her muscles relax and allowed him to press them inside of her.

The feeling was intoxicating. Instinct controlled her as she pulled his lips forward, drowning in the deep gaze of his red, seductive eyes. She kissed him with as much passion as she felt, the euphoria consuming her. After how long she didn't know, she felt his slide his fingers from her.

"Please… don't stop," Sakura said, barely seeing the man before her.

Itachi was surprised by how gone she was, but it would only make his plan more of a success in the end.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Don't worry, Sakura, you will be screaming with pleasure in a moment."

Sakura closed her eyes and let the slight stinging of his kisses on her throat and chest exhilarate the heat growing between her legs. Finally, she felt him slide inside of her. Rather than any expected 

pain, all she felt was waves of pleasure. She gripped his waist with her thighs, begging him to fuck her harder and harder.

Distantly, in the conscious part of her brain she thought, So this is what it feels like to fuck an Uchiha...

As he slammed her against the wall, Sakura felt herself losing control entirely. He gripped her neck and waist, holding her firmly in place as he pounded into her. His lips still only a hair's breadth away, he could taste her sultry breath. As consciously aware of what he was doing to her as he was, Itachi couldn't resist but to give in a little. He kissed her heatedly, thinking in the back of his mind how lucky Sasuke would be if he could have her the rest of his life. He sincerely hoped after all he put them through, that would still happen.

* * *

Sakura wasn't sure when she passed out, but she didn't think she was out for very long. She was still covered in sweat and Itachi was still gripping her tightly, breathing heavily.

And he was still inside of her…

The remnants of her euphoria still rang throughout her body, but her concept of reality had returned. Had that really just happened? Thick tears fell down her cheeks… did she really just sleep with Itachi Uchiha?

"You… you did this… you made me want you… I would have never…" Sakura was cut off by her sobs.

"All I did was take away your concept of who I was… It allowed your true instincts to control you. And you truly wanted it to happen."

Sakura closed her eyes. If she couldn't see him, maybe it wouldn't make it so real. But she could still feel him inside of her.

"Please… let me go," she whispered.

Itachi watched her, taking note of every word. Already, he was ready to take her again. Just another minute for her spirit to truly break and he would shatter her.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry!" Sakura said louder than her earlier whisper. "If you were sorry before it happened, then why did you do it! Stop trying to trick me and act like the monster that you are…"

Itachi watched her with interest. He wouldn't have expected the outburst. She was stronger than he thought. Even more suited to bring birth to a new Uchiha clan.

Sakura was watching him. Watching as he thought about what she said.

"What are you thinking about? I feel like there is something I am missing about you… something important," she said, the tears stopping for a moment.

Itachi felt a pang of guilt at her words, but then realized she was smarter than he thought too. She was beginning to see through him. But she wouldn't for long. Not after what he was about to do to her.

* * *

Sakura felt Itachi throw her on the ground. She tried frantically to get away from him, but there was nothing she could do. She was weak and exhausted. He no longer was using his Sharingan on her. He wasn't clouding her thoughts anymore. She screamed as he grabbed her and shoved her face to the ground. She felt him inside her after that. The pain that seared through her made her cry hot tears of pain that flooded her eyes.

"Stop it!" she cried as she tried to release his grasp on her. She couldn't stop him though. He shoved into her, bruising her skin as he fucked her harder than before. The suffering was so great she stopped crying, her silent despair and weakness against him overpowering. She felt useless. To be taken like this and not be able to do anything about it… How could Sasuke want someone like that?

Through the blurry tears and into the darkness, something caught her eye. His white flowing shirt was flawless and unstained. Sasuke several feet before her, staring at her with unforgiving eyes as Itachi violated her in every way. Pain consumed her. The physical pain was beginning to numb her, but now, the pain in her heart was worse. Sasuke's eyes were cold and distant as he stood there unmoving.

She wanted to cry out, to ask him to help her, but she couldn't. She couldn't bare to see him ignore her cries and do nothing as he was now. His eyes bore into her and she felt like her world had shattered. Then everything was black.

* * *

Sasuke stood outside the old Uchiha compound a sense of foreboding making his pause. Finally, everything he had lived for would take place. However, something happened he wasn't expecting.

Sakura lie on the stone next to Itahci unmoving. His reaction startled him. Was she dead? Panic consumed him then fear and finally pain. Sakura… couldn't be… dead…

Then after that fleeting first moment where his heart stopped, he could sense a very faint, but very present chakra presence from her. She looked asleep, her breathing even, but her face… she looked like she was crying. Every once in a while she would flinch, but was otherwise unharmed.

"What is she doing here?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi watched him with interest. Immediately, his eyes told Sasuke everything. He watched in horror at what Sakura had experienced and in shock as she willingly had sex with his brother. Only after enduring seeing her with him did he realize what Itachi had done… but it was still… Sasuke didn't know how he felt about it.

Only seeing the rest did he realize what Sakura had been thinking. She was thinking of him. That dream was what allowed her thoughts to be so clouded. And only when she could think straight did she see the monster in Itachi rather than his resemblance to himself.

The worst part was seeing an illusion of himself watching her disgustedly, doing nothing.

Sasuke broke the illusion having seen enough. He looked at Sakura, realizing she was still in the illusion.

"Release it," he told Itachi.

Itachi didn't move.

"I said release it!" Sasuke yelled.

"Why don't you?" Itachi said, watching his little brother fall apart with the rage he was granted by this action. Yes, attacking the girl was the most efficient way to make Sasuke stronger. He should have done it sooner.

* * *

Sakura clenched her fists and tried to keep herself from sobbing as Sasuke stood there watching her. Itachi was gone and she just lie beaten and crying in the floor. Why wouldn't he help her… why wouldn't he say something?

Just as she started sobbing again, she saw him move. His hands were on her and lifting her into his arms. The tears stopped and she stared into his eyes. The red blaring Sharingan was all she saw as he whispered, "You're safe, Sakura."

* * *

from her grasp and found herself surrounded by two others as well. They all watched her wearily, worried she may attack.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Sasuke told us to take care of you. Were his team," the kind one answered.

Sakura recalled in that moment how Sasuke had helped her. He had picked her up and… she looked down at her body. There were no bruises, no scratches… no pain other than the throbbing in her mind.

One of the other spoke. "Sasuke said to tell you it was all an illusion. What happened anyway?"

Sakura stared at the girl who had spoke. An illusion? Tears streamed down her face… It wasn't real. The memory of it was as real as ever, but it hadn't really happened… and Sasuke _had_ saved her…

She turned back to stare at the entrance to the old Uchiha compound.

"Sasuke's in there… fighting Itachi," one of them said.

Sakura fell to her knees, staring at the distant location. Sasuke _did_ care… now he just had to survive.

_AN - I don't know whether to make this Sasu/Saku or Ita/Saku. I think I will do Sasu/Saku cuz it is a romance about them... oh well. Hope you enjoyed it! Cheers._


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